The Be Well Baby Podcast

Bacterial Vaginosis, Cervical Lips, & Nuchal Cords, Oh My! Lessons From My Three Home Births

This week, we're flipping the script. My doula, Alison Akan of the BirthLinked YouTube channel, sits down with me to talk through all three of my birth experiences, and nothing is off limits. I went into each birth with more knowledge than the last, and somehow that made things both easier and harder. We talk about what it's like to plan for a home birth and end up in the hospital, what it means to truly surrender in labor, and why knowing too much can sometimes work against you. Alison's passion for birth began in her teens in Sweden, where she went on to study medical assisting with a goal of midwifery. She supported her first birth at 22 in a high-risk labor and delivery unit in Lund, and brings experience from over 300 births to every family she serves. After returning to the USA in 2017, she became a certified birth doula and hasn't looked back. Alison is deeply committed to evidence-based education, helping expectant parents understand their options and move from fear to excitement. Her goal is for every client to look back on their birth as empowering, even when it doesn't go as planned. Alison always says that it's a true honor to be invited into such a sacred space, and that reverence is at the heart of everything she does. BIRTH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwSlgH3B1Do&list=PLbvrHEJRpfbj4TdUGNNcGPYJ6Dr67KTW8 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwSlgH3B1Do&list=PLbvrHEJRpfbj4TdUGNNcGPYJ6Dr67KTW8] In this episode we cover: * How my first birth started with a yoga class in San Francisco — in Depends * Undiagnosed bacterial vaginosis, prelabor rupture of membranes, and a four-day labor that ended in a hospital transfer * What actually happens to your psoas muscles in labor — and why an epidural was the best clinical decision I made * My second birth: swift, an uneventful nuchal cord with baby still en caul * Deciding to have a third child on a hard parenting day — and what my partner said that made the decision for us * Asynclitism, cervical lips, a birth tub filled with buckets, and a placenta that went rogue * What my husband was most afraid of — and it wasn't pushing the baby out! People + Events Mentioned: * Alison Akan: [BirthLinked [https://www.youtube.com/@BirthLinkedwithAlison] YouTube Channel] * Angela Truby: Glow Midwifery [https://www.glowmidwifery.com/] [midwife] * Tami Lynn Kent [https://www.wildfeminine.com/] / Holistic Pelvic Care™ * Katie Kanda [https://katiekanda.com/]  * Beyond Birth Community Calls [https://www.skool.com/beyond-birth/about]  * Birth Prep. But Better. [https://www.bewellbaby.org/birth-prep-but-better] (https://www.bewellbaby.org/birth-prep-but-better [https://www.bewellbaby.org/birth-prep-but-better]) Want to keep the conversation going? Join me most Tuesdays at 10am PST/1pm EST/7pm in Sweden! Beyond Birth [https://www.skool.com/beyond-birth/about]

The Word for What's Exhausting You: System-Keeping™ with Stassi Chaillé

Have you ever fallen into bed completely exhausted — only to lie there wide awake, running through everything you forgot to do, respond to, or organize? That bone-tired exhaustion that doesn't let you rest? There's actually a name for what's happening, and this week's guest coined it. Stassi Chaillé, LPC is a therapist, educator, and founder of System-Keeping™ — the first framework to name the root cause of women's self-abandonment. With dual master's degrees from Columbia University in Culturally Oppressive Systems and Psychological Counseling, Stassi coined System-Keeping™ to describe the invisible, anticipatory labor women perform to keep families, workplaces, marriages, and entire economies functioning — labor that was never consented to, never credited, and designed to be impossible to stop. Through her monthly masterclass, private liberation container, and writing, Stassi works with high-functioning women who can't understand why burnout interventions keep failing — until they see that the system requiring their self-abandonment is still intact. System-Keeping™ is why. Once a woman understands she was conditioned into this, the question stops being what's wrong with me and becomes what was I trained to carry. By the end of our conversation, you'll see your life differently. We promise. We cover:  * What System-Keeping™ is — and why "mental load" doesn't tell the whole story  * The three-part triangle: conditioning, invisible contracts, and the nervous system loop * How System-Keeping™ shows up physically in your body — and what the research says  * The self-abandonment at the center of it all  * What one realistic first shift looks like when you're ready to start putting something down Events mentioned: Stassi's System Keeping™ Masterclass on the last Thursday of every month → Sign Up Here [https://www.stassichaille.com/system-keeping-masterclass-in-person?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGn8_gwFxpQ5B-7EEyOlhqmgjhYAnPDlMYCa1B-sFivRQ8rzAiDAkRQ0QAFyf8_aem_gGkrre1wVSFERShMmHgEHw] Book a 1:1 30 minute consult with Stassi here [https://calendly.com/evergreentherapypdx/30min?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGnmnIoRNbQaFdPP3xAldW0X9DH486PoYFh4OiyvC8UelFFHv7fgyltSomjpKI_aem_TJZK3DpaV6l_aetRvNWnOA&utm_id=97760_v0_s00_e0_tv3&month=2026-05]! 🪺Birth Prep. But Better. [https://www.bewellbaby.org/birth-prep-but-better] with Dr. Emily May 30th at New Mom School® → https://www.bewellbaby.org/birth-prep-but-better [https://www.bewellbaby.org/birth-prep-but-better] 🎼 A Notion, A Scream! [https://www.anotionascream.org/events] Choir Concert - May 31st in Portland!  About Dr. Emily:  Emily is on a mission to change the way we prepare for the chapter of welcoming a baby into our homes. Emily is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and the founder of Be Well Baby® — a multidisciplinary in-home practice in Portland, Oregon serving families from pregnancy through the early years with baby. She's also a mom of three, and creator of the online educational community the Beyond Birth Blueprint.

Preparing Your Pet for Baby: Training Tips, Body Language & Postpartum Grace with Mckenna Neale

Bringing a new baby home is one of the biggest transitions your family will ever navigate — and that includes every member of your household, including your four-legged ones. In this episode, Emily sits down with McKenna Neale, certified veterinary technician, behavioral specialist, and fellow new mom, to talk about everything you need to know about preparing your pets for a new baby. Mckenna shares her own experience as a pit bull mom who delivered her daughter a month early and had to scramble to find care for her dog — and how that shaped the advice she now gives families every day through her work at Dove Lewis Emergency Medicine and the Oregon Humane Society. In this episode, we cover: * Whether animals can actually sense pregnancy (and what the science says about their incredible sense of smell) * Simple, low-effort ways to begin preparing your pet during pregnancy — starting as early as you want * Why playing YouTube baby sounds might be the most underrated thing you can do right now * The "place" command and other foundational training tips that will save your sanity postpartum * How to think about your home environment before baby arrives — baby gates, playpens, sleeping arrangements, and more * What a safe, low-stress baby introduction looks like for dogs (including McKenna's own story) * Cat-specific guidance for a species that plays by entirely different rules * The body language cues most pet owners completely miss — licking, whale eye, whisker position, tail tension, and more * The emotional reality of postpartum pet relationships, including the grief of feeling disconnected from an animal you love * How babies raised around pets benefit developmentally and immunologically * The beauty of watching your child and your pet grow up together Resources mentioned: * Oregon Humane Society community classes: oregonhumane.org [http://oregonhumane.org] * Rover gift cards (registry idea!) * Frozen Kongs [https://amzn.to/4uNdqRT] and licky mats [https://amzn.to/4tYAWey] for enrichment * YouTube baby sounds for desensitization training [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/30SRQ5RVQiM] * Connect with Mckenna: Mckenna generously said you are welcome to email her any questions and she will try to send you in the right direction! Email her here: mdrasye@gmail.com [mdrasye@gmail.com] Your Host Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and founder of Be Well Baby in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum.  She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint [http://www.bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth-blueprint], an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving. Our mission is to fundamentally shift healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!

Isolation Is a Health Risk: Rebuilding Community for New Moms with Liberty Planck

What if the most powerful thing you could do for your new baby had nothing to do with a product, a schedule, or anything you saw on TikTok,  and everything to do with a room full of other moms who just get it? Today I'm sitting down with Liberty Planck, owner of New Mom School® in Lake Oswego, Oregon and mom of three, who channeled her background in experience design and her own deeply isolating postpartum season into building something truly special for families. New Mom School® is a franchise with locations all over the country.  We cover a lot of ground in this one — and honestly, it went places I didn't expect. Liberty is thoughtful, funny, and refreshingly honest about the gap between the village we think we're building and the one we actually have to show up for. We use "mom" and “mother” throughout this conversation because it reflects the language of our guest and her community, but we see and welcome every birthing person, non-binary parent, and family structure here, and so does New Mom School® Lake Oswego!  In this episode, we talk about: * Why isolation is one of the biggest risk factors for new moms and babies — and how New Mom School® was born out of Liberty's own pandemic postpartum experience * The "education meets support meets community" model that makes New Mom School® different from just a mom group * How to give parents real clinical information without undermining their confidence as caregivers * What actually happens in a room full of postpartum women when a pelvic floor PT, lactation consultant, or infant development specialist walks in * Why the floor is the cheapest baby toy you own (and how Liberty's third baby became her most capable gross motor kid because of it) * The hidden gift of the New Mom School® model — and why showing up to class doesn't automatically mean you have a village * What it really takes to build friendships as a new mom, and why the pandemic made all of this harder * Birth as a great equalizer, and why age, background, and parenting philosophy don't matter as much as being in the same season * The beauty of alloparenting — and why your baby doesn't just need you, they need a whole cast of safe, loving adults This conversation is for you whether you're currently pregnant, postpartum, a provider who works with families, or just someone who cares deeply about how we support mothers in this culture. Resources mentioned: * Find a New Mom School® near you: newmomschool.com [http://newmomschool.com] * Local to Portland? New Mom School® Lake Oswego is right off the freeway and draws families from Vancouver, Happy Valley, Bethany, and beyond * 💸 Use code BEWELL50 for $50 off your first cohort * 🍼 Providers: reach out to Liberty directly to get pamphlets and referral cards for your patients Follow New Mom School [https://www.instagram.com/newmomschool_lakeoswego?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr]® Lake Oswego on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/newmomschool_lakeoswego?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr] Your Host: Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and founder of Be Well Baby® in Portland, Oregon. bewellbaby.org [bewellbaby.org]

Why Pregnancy Is the Best Time to Build a Movement Habit with Dr. Emily Spaeth

Movement during pregnancy isn't just safe — it's one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself, your baby, and yes, even your grandchildren. In this episode, Dr. Emily dives deep into the science of exercise during pregnancy, habit formation, and the fascinating brain changes that make pregnancy one of the most important windows for building the identity you want to carry into parenthood. In this episode: * The evidence-backed benefits of exercise during pregnancy, from reduced gestational diabetes risk to shorter active labor and faster postpartum recovery * How your baby's cardiovascular development is influenced by your movement * Intergenerational epigenetics — why the choices you make right now are part of your grandchildren's biological story * The landmark 2016 Nature Neuroscience study on gray matter changes in pregnancy and what it actually means for your brain * The neuroscience of mental rehearsal and why visualizing your habit in vivid detail is not manifesting — it's motor learning * Implementation intentions: why "I am someone who moves their body during pregnancy" outperforms "I want to exercise more" every time Action step from this episode: Pick one movement. Make it small and doable. Put it on your calendar. Name yourself as someone who does it. That's the whole assignment. Resources mentioned: * Episode 2 with Barb Buckner Suarez on mommy brain and gray matter changes [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mommy-brain-is-real-but-its-not-what-you-think-with/id1851076558?i=1000737409734] * Episode 20 with Emily Sferra on matrescence [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/matrescence-why-you-dont-feel-like-yourself-postpartum/id1851076558?i=1000753024203] * Beyond Birth Blueprint — bewellbaby.org [http://bewellbaby.org] * Flourish Center Friday sessions (Portland locals!) [https://www.bewellbaby.org/postpartum-support-group] * Ninni pacifier — use code BEWELLBABY for 10% off [https://ninnico.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19874347147&gbraid=0AAAAAoJEzE2_Dj8HJwem63A1IYi2llEGt&gclid=CjwKCAjwtcHPBhADEiwAWo3sJjbd6pPkW5S8CWX5sj8fIdvEQyFWXSNbtQpKQUzgmnK0XlJpcwlfDxoC0icQAvD_BwE] Connect with Be Well Baby:  * bewellbaby.org [http://bewellbaby.org] * @bewellbabypdx on Instagram Emily Spaeth is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and founder of Be Well Baby in Portland, Oregon. With extensive NICU experience and training in craniosacral therapy, she leads a team providing home-based health care for families navigating the tricky parts of pregnancy and postpartum.  She also hosts the Beyond Birth Blueprint [http://www.bewellbaby.org/beyond-birth-blueprint], an online birth and postpartum educational community available to families across the country—so no matter where you are, you have access to support, resources, and connection. Emily is also a mother of three and passionate about helping families move from surviving to thriving. Our mission is to fundamentally shift healthcare could look like for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Please help us spread the word by leaving a review! Every review matters!